Improvement in dentistsj mallets



UNITED STATES JOHN A. HARRIS, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

PONTIAC, MICHIGAN.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,468, dated October 17, 1865.

To all whom fit may concern Be it known that I, JOHN A. HARRIS, of Pontiac, in the county of Oakland, and State ot Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Dentists Mallet; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof', which willenable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompan yin g drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l. represents a side elevation of this invention when the mallet is raised. Fig.2 is a plan or top view of the same when the mallet is down.

Similar letters of' reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates to a dentists mallet composed ot' a guard to encircle the hand of the operator, and provided with a standard, to which the mallet is hinged, in combination with a trigger connecting with the mallet by a suitable lever and cord in such a manner that the instrument can be conveniently held by the thumb and the two first lingers, and by a pressure of the two last fingers on the trigger the mallet can be brought down with the greatest precision, and with any desired amoun t of power, thereby enabling the operater While plugging teeth to dispense with the help ot' an assistant.

A represents a guard or handle, made of wood or any other suitable material, and of such a form that the hand of the operator can be conveniently passed through it. Said guard is provided with a standard, B, which is secured to it by a bracket, O, or by any other suitable means, and which may be so arranged that it can be turned in either direction, and that the plane in which the mallet swings can be adjusted to suit circumstances.

The mallet D is connected to the standard B by means of a pivot, a, so that it is allowed to swing freely back and forth, and it is sub-v jected to the action of a spring, I), of indiarubber or any other suitable material, which is applied in such a manner that it has a tendency to raise the mallet to the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

From the side of the guard A opposite the standard B extends a bracket, E, which forms the fulcrum for a lever, F, to which the trigger H is secured. The lever F is curved, as shown in the drawings, and it extends close to a pulley, c, which is secured to the side ot the bracket O, supporting the standards B. A cord or cat-gut, d, which passes over the pulley c, forms the connection between the lever F and the mallet D, and said cat-gut is secured to the handle or shank ot' the mallet close to its fulcrum, so that a comparatively short motion of the lever F causes the mallet to swing with considerable velocity through an are of ninety degrees or more.

By passing the hand through the guard and holding the same with the thumb and two tirst lingers the mallet can be made to swing down by a pressure ofthe two last fingers on the trigger H. By this arrangement a dentist is enabled to perform the operation of plugging teeth without the aid of an assistant.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Let- 

